Mission Statement
The Fire Shelter and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Subcommittee (FSPPES) provides interagency leadership and oversight in all areas of fire shelter and PPE program management.
- Provide input to the National Training and Development Program (NTDP) regarding fire shelter and PPE specifications.
- Support continuous improvement of fire shelters and PPE programs.
- Assist with the development of fire shelter and PPE training.
- Coordinate with NTDP and other pertinent entities to accomplish the subcommittee’s mission.
- Communicate pertinent fire shelter and PPE information effectively.
Wildland Firefighter's Helmet Serviceability Guide Flowchart
Helmet Inspection and Safety video (Time: 7:10)
PDF of the above Wildland Firefighter's Helmet Servicability Guide flowchart
A comprehensive five year Fire Shelter Review was completed in May, 2019. The results determined retaining the use of the current fire shelter. The study indicated that the current fire shelter continues to provide the most practical amount of protection given the tradeoffs of weight, volume (bulk), durability, and material toxicity.
- Executive Board Memo 19-001: Acceptance of the NWCG Equipment Technology Committee recommendation to retain use of the current fire shelter
- ETC Memo 19-01: Outcome of Fire Shelter Review Project
- Frequently Asked Questions about Fire Shelters
- NIFC News Release: National Wildfire Coordinating Group Recommends Current Fire Shelter
- As part of the project review, The National Technology and Development Program conducted a nationwide firefighter questionnaire survey. View the results.
The following training information is available to order through the NWCG NFES Catalog - Part 2: Publications, PMS 449-2:
- NFES 2710 The New Generation Fire Shelter, PMS 411 (pdf)
- The New Generation Fire Shelter YouTube Video, PMS 411
- NFES 2736 El Refugio De Protección Nueva Generación, PMS 411 (pdf)
- El Refugio De Protección Nueva Generación YouTube Video, PMS 411
Instructions
- Flyer - Instructions for Refolding the Practice Fire Shelter
- Fire Shelter Use Instructions
Videos
The New Generation Fire Shelter
Video Length: 25:27
Video: Refolding Your Practice Fire Shelter
Video Length: 3:40
- ETC-EA-2021-01: Fire Shelter PVC Bag Retrofit 2021
- Fire Shelter History
- 2017 Barcelona International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) Presentation
- 2011 Fire Shelter Inspection Guide and Rebag Direction
- 2009 Deploying Your Fire Shelter in a Body of Water
- 2006 Whats New With the New Generation Fire Shelter
- 2005 Large New Generation Fire Shelter now Available
- 2003 New Generation Fire Shelter Developed for Wildland Firefighters
- 2003 Fire Shelters Weaken Transmissions From Hand-Held Radios
Fire Shelter Deployments: Stories and Common Insights" is a program developed by the US Forest Service Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) that will help you understand what you may experience in a fire shelter deployment.
Watch videos featuring fire shelter deployment stories including:
Watch videos featuring common insights for the following topics:
Equipment reports looking into fire shelters and their use during the past few years are contained within many accident reviews and reports. These can be found at the Incident Reviews page of the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center website. Specific reports are linked in the document below.